Air diffuser construction



Sept. 26, 1961 J. P, MooRE AIR DIFFUSER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed NOV. 6. 1957 l I l o N mm E #ma T MP H /5 Sept. 26, 1961 J, P,MOQRE AIR DIFFUSER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 6, 1957 budLJLJ 3,001,464 AIR DIFFUSER CONSTRUCTION James P. Moore, St. Louis, Mo.,assignor to C. W. Fawcett Acoustical Company, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 694,809 3 Claims.(Cl. 98-40) The present invention relates generally to air distributionsystems, and more particularly toa novel air diffuser construction fordistributing Ventilating air in rooms and oilices.

In brief, the invention contemplates an arrangement which utilizes as aplenum that space which normally exists between the ceiling of one roomand either the door of the room next above or the main roof structure.'I'his plenum is communicated with the room immediately therebelowthrough adjustable air dilfusers. The diffusers, disposed in a uniformpattern which extends over substantially the whole ceiling area,incorporates filters which serve, not only to lter the air, but also toprevent blasting and unequal distribution of air through the severaldiifusers.

, It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a novel airdistributing construction which utilizes normally unoccupied space as aplenum.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel airdistributing construction which employs a plenum extending oversubstantially the whole ceiling area of a room to be ventilated.

It is another object of the invention .to provide a novel airdistributing construction which incorporates a plurality of air diusersdisposed in a uniform pattern in a room ceiling.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel airdistributing system which incorporates a plurality of air difusers eachprovided with a filtering medium.

The foregoing, along with additional objects and advantages, will beapparent from the following description of a specific embodiment of theinvention as depicted in the accompanying drawings, in which:

' FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a structuralarrangement defining a plenum and including air outlets comprising partof an air distributing system;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken generally along theline 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section similar to FIGUREl, but showing only a single air diluser in greater detail;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken generally on the line4-4 of FIGURE 3, portions being broken away to reveal details ofunderlying structure;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan View, drawn to intermediate scale,of a removed air diiuser;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a tab prior to its incorporation in anair diiuser assembly; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section view showing the manner in which thetab of FIGURE 6 is incorporated in the air diffuser assembly.

Referring more particularly to the details of the drawings, the numeral10 designates lgenerally an lair distributing arrangement conforming tothe present invention. The general arrangement 10 includes a horizontaloverlying structure 12 and a horizontal lining or ceiling assembly 14 inspaced relation below the structure 12. Thus related, the parallelstructures 12 and 14 define a plenum 16 which will be understood toextend over substantially the entire area of an associated room space 1Sbelow the ceiling 14.

The structure 12, depicted in FIGURE 1 without detail, may take anyconvenient form, but normally will be a part either of a roofconstruction or of a sub-door States Patent iee construction of anoverhead room. The principal requirement is that it be continuous andgenerally impervious to air.

The ceiling assembly 14, shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3 of the drawings,comprises rectangular panels 20 supported on rows between alternatingparallel rows of elongated diffusing outlets 22. The outlets -ordiiusers 22 are suspended by means of hangers 24 from parallel spacedbeams 26 extending in a direction transverse to that of the alternaterows of panels 20 and diffusers 22.

While the beams 26 employed to support the ceiling assembly 14 are shownin the drawings as channel members, it is obvious that they may take anyof various forms. For example, where trusses or bar joists are used tosupport the overlying structure 12, the lower tension elements of suchmembers may well serve also as the ceiling support in place of separatebeams 26.

' inasmuch as the manner of mounting the beams 26 is not shown in thedrawings, it is to be understood that these members may be supported inany `appropriate manner, such as by bearing engagement (not shown) onwalls or columns, or by suspension ties (not shown) from the overlyingstructure 12.

The outlets or diiiusers 22, as is cleai from FIGURE 2, take anelongated configuration and preferably extend the full length (or width)of the room space 18. A preferred sheet metal construction is clearlyillustrated in FIGURE 3, it being understood, however, that the partsmay be constructed wholly or partly of other materials. The illustratedoutlet 'Z2 includes a main box member 28 formed from a single sheet ofmaterial to provide an inverted box-like compartment 30 surmounted by anopen channel 32. FIGURE 3 shows clearly the manner in which sheetmaterial may be bent to dene these spaces and at the same time toprovide opposed inwardly extending flanges 34 along the top of thechannel 32, as well as opposite outwardly extending ilanges 36 at thelower opening of the compartment 30.

A plurality of elongated slide members 38 having U-shaped cross sections(FIGURE 3) are slidably disposed in the channel 32 of each of the boxmembers 28. Although the length and spacing of the slide members 38 maybe widely varied, a length of iive or six times the width of the channel32 and a spacing of approximately twice such length may be regarded astypical.

The channel-like slide members 38 are disposed with their web portions40 in ilush, slidable engagement with the upper panel portion 42 of anassociated box member 2S, and these engaged elements are both providedwith a plurality of uniformly spaced openings. These openings,designated 44 and 46 in the elements 40 and 42, respectively, may be ofrectangular shape, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, or of any otherappropriate shape. They are arranged in matching patterns for selectivealignment or misalignment. Each slide member 33 is provided with a tab48 for moving it longitudinally of the box member 28. The illustratedtabs 48 each comprise a blank 50 (FIGURE 6) having slits 52 which denetab-like portions 54 which may be bent over and secured to the webportion 40 of the slide member 38 as illustrated in FIG- URE 7. A slotS6 is provided in the panel portion 40 to accommodate the depending tab48, which extends down below the bottom of the box member 22, as clearlyshown in the drawings.

The compartment 39 is substantially filled with a mechanical filter 5Scomprising a material such as spun glass or the like. This filter 58 isretained in place by an elongated grill 60 disposed across the loweropening of the compartment 30. An -appropriate pattern of louvers 62 isprovided in the grill 60 as clearly indicated in F'IG- URES 3 and 5, andslots 64 are also provided for accommodation of the shifting tab 48. Thegrill 60 is supported byftiie lower side anges 36' of' the box member 28by bending over the side edges of the former as illustrated at 66 inFIGURE 3.

In use, the ditusers 22 are, as previously mentioned, suspendt-:dY byhangers *24 from the supportingbeams 26.. While the hangers 24' are hereillustrated as1 straddling the beams 26 and engaging deformed ends 68under the beaded flanges 34 at the top of the boxrnember' 28 it isobvious that other means of suspension would. be satisfactory. With theditrusers supported as described, the panels- Zii mayV rest in rows uponthe horizontal lower il'anges 36 of adjacent parallel diiusers 22.

It will of course be understood that the plenum 16 de-V fined betweenVthe overlying structure. 12 and the ceiling assembly l@ is communicatedby conventional duct means with asource of Ventilating air under.suiiicient pressure, not only to till the plenum ld, but also to expelair' through the ditiusers 2.2 into the room space l.

The-filters 58, in :addition to` filtering the air which is dischargedinto the. room space 1d, also providesuf.-Y

cient restriction to the iiow of air to prevent blasting at any point.There isthus produced a tendency toward equalized inflow from theceiling area which, coupled with the over-all pattern of arrangement ofthe diifusers. Z2, assures low velocities of air entrance and preventslocalized drafts. The slide members 38 may be adjusted by means of theirtabs 48 to provide complete` uniformity ofiniiow as well as to controlthe volume of air admitted to the room space 13.

Clearly, there has been provided an air distributing construction whichfultills the objects and advantages sought' therefor.

lt is to be understood that the foregoing description andtheaccornpanying drawings have been given. only by way of illustrationand example. lt is further to. be undei-stood that changes in the formof the elements, re,- arranvement of parts, and the substitution ofequivalent elements, all of which will be apparent to those skilled inthe art, are contemplated as being within the scope` of; the presentinvention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l.`ln a. room having an overlying, substantially air imperviousstructure, an air distributing ceiling assembly comprising a pluralityof parallel horizontal panels, each panel having parallel sides andopposite ends and having a plurality of air openings through it withvanes adjacent each opening for directing air laterally as Well asdownwardly as the air passes through the openings, each spontan panelhaving ceiling supporting side edge ange means 50 defined lby anextension of the sides of each panel beyond the openings, a pair ofspaced, substantially vertical side wall plates extending between theends of and upwardly from each panel, each pair ofside wall plates beingjoined tov respective, panel along a. line located horizontally inwardlyof the side edge flange means, a substantially horizontal top platesuspended between each pair of side wall plates and extending betweenthe ends of the side wall plates in spaced relation tothe tops andbottoms of the side wallplates, al plurality' of' slots through each topplate for admitting air to the panels from the spaceV above each topplate, a slidable closure plate slidably overlying each top plate, each,closure plate having a plurality of slots through itV and. alignablewithY the slots through the top plate below it in 4one position of theclosure plate,

eac-h closure plate being slidable to another positionv for v coveringthe. top plate slots, closure plate slidingl means@ connected to eachclosure plate and accessible from hea-- low the panels for sliding theclosure plates to adjust thev amount of. air passing through the, topplate, a filter; mass disposed. within. the spaces: between each pair ofsidef walliplates and'- between, the. corresponding panell and top`plate, a suspensit'inA system for supporting each pair; oi side wallplates, andV Ia; ceiling panel supported between; each pair of: adjacentpanelsby the opposing side wall. edge;- ilange-means of'eaclr pair of:adjacent panels.

2. The combination of claim l wherein` the suspension system comprises aplurality of beams; spaced along: the length ofthe-panels, andpositioned above the side. walt plates, each pair of side Wall plateshaving opposed inwardlydirected anges atthe tops of the side wallflanges,

and. hook. supported by the. beams `and havingex extends; the: elongatedslots extendingbeyoud the arzt1 atar plate to permit horizontal movementofA they actuator plate to slide the closure plate.

Reerences ited in thetile of this patent UNrTnn STATES PATENT-s27,2.'Zl,001. Lucius Nov.' l2', 19,40 2,251,663' Dar-boY Aug. 5, 194142,587,884

lalmer Mar. 4,. i952f ornatiV REFERENCES Barber-Coleman publicationentitled Ceiling Diffuaers, form- No; l5-6597A, received in PatentvOffice; Apr. 25, 1957, page 9.

